Method for producing an alicyclic dinitrile

ABSTRACT

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CYCLOHEXANE-1,2-DICARBONITRILE FROM CYCLOHEXENE-1-CARBONITRILE AND HYDROCYANIC ACID AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM 120*C. TO 200*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INORGANIC BASE, AS A CATALYSER.

1 US. Cl. 260--464 United States Patent 3,686,260 METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ALICYCLIC DINITRILE Goro Inoue, Tokyo, and Hirokazu Fukumi, Saitama-ken, Japan, assignors to Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kitaku, Osaka, Japan No Drawing. Filed Sept. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 855,077 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 2, 1968, 43/62,347 Int. Cl. C07c 121/46 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Method for producing cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile from cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile and hydrocyanic acid at a temperature ranging from 120 C. to 200 C. in the presence of an inorganic base, as a catalyser.

This invention relates to a method for producing cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel and economically advantageous method for producing cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile.

As for the conventional methods for producing cyclo hexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile, there have been known those which rely on the dehydrogenation reaction of cyclohexane 1,2-dicarboxamide with phosgene (see: G. E. Ficken, J. Chem. Soc., 1954, 3730) and the reaction of cyclohexane-1,2-dibromide with hydrocyanic acid. (see: D. E. Applequist, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 28 48 (1963)). However, all of these methods are not economically advantageous in the points of reagents used, reaction yield and reaction condition. There has also been known a synthetic method of cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile which utilitizes the addition of hydrocyanic acid generated by reacting concentrated hydrochloric acid with an excessive amount of potassium cyanide, to cyclohexene l-carbonitrile in a solvent mixture of ethanol and water under a superatmospheric pressure. (see: G. E. Ficken, J. Chem. Soc, 1954, 3730). However when hydrocyanic acid is heated under an elevated pressure in the presence of a large amount of water, it generally undergoes various reactions such as polycondensation or the like. Hence this method brings about a loss of large amount of hydrocyanic acid, deterioration of property of reaction solution accompanied by complexity of reaction operation, heavy loss of objective substance at the time of collection and isolation. So in the literatures relating to this process even the yield of the objective substance obtained is not described. Hence this method can by no means be said to have economical significance.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an economically efficient method for producing cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile which is an useful substance as a raw material of high molecular substance or an additive to a high molecular substance.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description which hereinunder follows.

According to the method of the present invention, cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile is produced by reacting cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile and hydrocyanic acid at a temperature ranging from 120 C. to 200 C. in the presence of an inorganic base, as a catalyst.

As previously described, the object of the present invention is a provision for a production method of cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile which is more economical and more advantageous than any other conventional methods ever known.

In the method of the present invention, the loss of Ice large amount of hydrocyanic acid itself caused by polycondensation or the like, and economical loss concomitant with it are prevented perfectly by not allowing a substantial amount of water whose existence in the system adversely affects the reaction. It is possible to use a solvent in the present method. So far as organic solvent is concerned, any kind of it can be used but it is preferable that the solvent used be purified to common technical grade.

One feature of the present invention lies in the heating of the reactants at a temperature higher than 120 C. at the time of addition of hydrocyanic acid to cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile.

At a reaction temperature lower than 120 C., hydrocyanic acid cannot be added smoothly to cyclohexene-lcarbonitrile; hence such a low temperature reaction cannot be an economical and advantageous production method of cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile.

Namely under a condition which can be readily thought of from such a mild reaction condition as the addition reaction of hydrocyanic acid to general a,B-unsaturated conjugated nitriles (see; CA 60 lS700e), hydrocyanic acid cannot be added to cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile: hence it is necessary to heat the reactant up to about 120 C. to 200 C.

Another feature of the present invention is the use of metal cyanide as a catalyser. Heretofore it has been com monly recognized that metal cyanide does not act as a catalyser in this sort of reaction (see: G. E. Ficken, J. Chem. Soc., 1954, 3730).

However to be surprising enough, the metal cyanide performs a function of an excellent catalyst. In this regard, it can be said that the present invention is based upon this discovery of a novel fact.

In the practice of the present invention, a catalyser to be used is an inorganic base such as a metal carbonate, metal cyanide, and metal hydroxide. The metal cyanide referred to herein includes combined products of cyanide ion and various metals capable of joining with the cyanide ion ranging from general metal elements represented by lithium, potassium, sodium, tin, to transition metal elements represented by vanadium, chromium, copper, palladium, nickel or the like.

The metal hydroxide includes hydroxide of the abovementioned metals and the metal carbonate includes com? pounds of the above-mentioned metal with carbonic acid. These catalysers can be used not only solely but also in the form of a mixture of two or more.

The amount of catalyser used is in the range of proportion of about /z mol per mol of raw material, cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile, preferably in the range of proportion of about /2( /2.

When a solvent is used in the method of the present invention, there is no limitation as to the kind. All of general organic solvent can be used but it is necessary that it is in the state purified to technical grade in moisture content. It is also possible to add hydrocyanic acid directly to cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile to effect reaction particularly in the absence of a solvent.

In this case also, it is necessary that the reaction system does not contain such an extent of moisture as being harmful. There is no limitation as to the amount of solvent used.

As for the proportion of cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile and hydrocyanic acid at the time of reaction, the molar ratio of cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile: hydrocyanic acid can be in the range of from about 1:4 to :1.

However, in order to prevent the properties of reaction solution from being impaired, hydrocyanic acid from being lost and the objective substance from being lost in isolation, it is preferable to use a proportion in the 3 range of 1:2 to 1051. Further, it is necessary to add hydrocyanic acid more than the amount of catalyser used in molar ratio.

There is no special order of addition or mixing of the the group of metal cyanide; metal carbonate; metal hydroxide; wherein the metal portion of said cyanide, carbonate, and hydroxide is selected from the group of alkali metal, tin, vanadium, chromium, copper, palladium, and

substances participating in each reaction. In other Words, 5 nickel; cobalt carbonate; calcium carbonate; and mixtures it is possible to bubble hydrocyanic acid through a miX- thereof; wherein the molar ratio of cyclohexene-l-carboture containing necessary amount of catalyser, cyClO- nitrile to hydrocyanic acid is in the range from about 1:4 hexene-l-carbonitrile, if necessary a solvent at a temto about 100:1, wherein the mole ratio of the catalyst to Pefature P p y Controlledvely, it is possible said cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile is in the range of about to bubble hydrocyanic acid through all appropr ate S0 121,000 to 1:2, and wherein the mole ratio of the hydrovent and then to add cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile, and a cyanic acid to the catalyst is greater than 1.

catalyst without regarding the order to complete reac- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction is cartion. ried out in the absence of a solvent.

For the purpose of isolation of the objec ive pr 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction is carany means which enables to attain the object can be used, ried out in the presence of a solvent. but in the point of operation, a distillation method i8 4, The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a, simple and most frequently used. metal cyanide.

Cyclohexane-1,2-dicarbonitrile thus obtained is a miX- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said catalyst is a ture of cis and trans isomers. metal carbonate.

The present invention is further illustrated by the fol- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said catalyst is a lowing non-limitative examples. metal hydroxide.

of cycloheXene-lfarb011itri1e, gof y 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the mole ratio of Cyamc acld, of Sodlum cyanide and 200 I111- cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile to hydrocyanic acid is 1:1ess N,N-dimethyl formamide were held in an autoclave at a than tePlpel'at'ure of f 3 hourscooling, 8. The method of claim 2 wherein the mole ratio of Shghtest of remammg acld 611ml cyclohexene-1-carbonitrile to hydrocyanic acid is 1:1ess nated by aeration. After filtration of sodium cyanide, the than 3 s g g a i g i g gigg i f ii 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocyanic acid 6 P sure W y o o y 1 is bubbled through a mixture containing the catalyst and carbomtrile (B.P. 120155 C. at 2-5 mm. Hg) was 0bmined cyclohexene-l-carbonltrile.

The elemental analysis of resultant product after redis-, The method of clam 3 wherein the hydrocyamc tillation showed the result of C:71. 61, H:7.5,1, N:20.88% acld 1s bllbbled through a Solvent and the cyclohexene'l' (theoretical value: C:7l.60, H:7.51, N:20.89% The IR carbonimle and catalyst are added t0 the spectra of the product showed an absorption band of CN The method cialm 1 Wherem h f f E of at 2240 1 and the NMR spectra Showed the presence cyclohexene-l-carbonitrlle to hydrocyamc acid is in the of 2 protons at 1-7.056.91, and s protons at 18.15-831. ran of to 1011- The same procedures were repeated by using different 12. The method of claim 3 wherein said solvent is catalyst, solvent, reaction temperature and reaction time, Selected from the group of N,N"dimethyl fofmamidfi, the result of which are shown in the following table. N,N-dirnethy1 acetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide.

Raw material (g.) Collected and recovered product (g.) Catalyst used Solvent used Cyclohexene1- Hydrocyanic and its amount and its amount Reaction Reaction Cyc10hexane-1,2- Cyclohexene-lcarbonitrilo acid amount (g.) (mL) temp (C.) time (hrs) dicarbonitrile carbonitrile 50.3 13.5 KON, 3.3 DMF 140 5 50.3 1. 35 Pd(GN)2, 0.80 DMF, 25 180 10 50.3 2.70 NaCN,2.45 ME, 160 4 50.3 6.70 NaCN 9.80 DMso,200 10 50.3 13.5 Ni(0N)2,15.0 EtOH, 200 120 20 50.3 13.5 NaCN, 12.7 CH3CN,2O0 5 50.3 2.7 NaON,2.5 160 4 50. 3 16. 5 NaOH, 4 0 DMF, 200 160 3 50. 3 16. 5 03.003, 3 7 DMF, 200 180 4 50.3 16.5 K2CO3,69 DMAC,200 6 50.3 4.1 CaCOa,5O CH30N,200 120 7 50.3 16.5 COC03,2 s DMF,2 4

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing cyclohexane-l,2-dicarbo- 60 nitrile which comprises reacting cyclohexene-l-carbonitrile with hydrocyanic acid at a temperature of 120 C. to 200 C., in the substantial absence of water in the reaction system, and in the presence of a catalyst selected from References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,337 12/1954 Heider et a1 260-464 2,904,581 9/1959 Coraor et a1 260464 X JOSEPH PAUL BRUST, Primary Examiner 

